87 Wine Enthusiast

"Shows enough fanciness to make it worth the price. Although it has no possibilities of improving with age, it’s a fine, softly gentle Cabernet to drink now. Shows correct blackberry, black currant and oak flavors." 87 Points - Wine Enthusiast

WINE:
“The aromas are of deep black fruits, with a whiff of toasty oak. On the palate, it makes a bold statement of dark fruit, with hints of white pepper, chocolate and vanilla. The finish is bright and juicy, with a spicy kick; while the tannins are sturdy, this wine can be enjoyed in its youth, or cellared for five years or more, for those who prefer the patina that older Cabernet Sauvignon takes on.” -Winemaker

VINEYARDS:
"Our Tall Trees Vineyard in the Yountville sub-appellation of Napa Valley contributed 85% of the grapes to this wine. This young, promising vineyard, planted in 1997 and just now reaching maturity, also contributed Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Malbec to the blend."

"The vines thrive in a complex mosaic of soils that includes sedimentary, alluvial, sandy, loamy and clay components, and are cooled by breezes from San Pablo Bay to the south."

"Napa Valley’s 2006 growing season was nearly textbook. Bloom and fruit set occurred a few weeks later than usual because of a cool, wet spring. Although a heat wave in mid-July lasted for 10 days, damage to the grapes was nearly non-existent, and in fact, the warm spell allowed the vines to catch up from their delayed springtime growth. Temperatures returned to normal in late July and remained remarkably mild through the early-September start of harvest, allowing the fruit to ripen at a slow space, ensuring ideal development of sugars and ripe tannins, and preservation of natural acidity in the grapes." -Winery

WINEMAKING:
"The grapes were hand-picked at night, when grapes are cool to the touch and at their freshest. The whole clusters were destemmed, with minimal crushing, to maximize the fruit intensity. Gentle pumpovers and “rack and return” techniques were used during the primary fermentation period to keep the skins in contact with the juice, for flavor and color development, yet without an over-extraction of tannins. After a secondary malolactic fermentation, the wine was racked to French and American oak barrels and aged for 24 months, then bottled." -Winemaker

This wine was also scored 86 points by the Wine Spectator.